


Swapping of the Ages

by MercuryHomophony



Category: Myst Series
Genre: Body Swap, Everybody Lives, Sirresha AU, not a pairing tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 04:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5694733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryHomophony/pseuds/MercuryHomophony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Atrus thought they'd be able to investigate the matter more thoroughly, before things progressed.<br/>Unfortunately, while he was away, matters were settled, contrary to anyone's preference.</p>
<p>((This is a birthday present for Glitchedwitch on Tumblr.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swapping of the Ages

Atrus thought he knew what he would find when he returned from Rime. His friend had proved more than capable in the past, and the act of simply watching over Yeesha for a night while he and Catherine were away, gathering materials on Rime or visiting Tay for guidance and reflection, was hardly a challenge for them.

Which is why he was more than a little surprised at the sight that greeted him on his return.

The Linking book from Rime sent its user back to the balcony overlooking the cliffs and valley outside their little caldera, where his friend had first viewed their home, just over a decade ago. Dawn was breaking when he arrived, and he shivered a little as the cool air of the morning desert washed over him, infinitely refreshing after the storms of Rime. He regretted not being able to fully test his communication equipment while away, but he didn’t want to leave his friend alone for too long – what kind of a host would that make him? – And the storm had already delayed him enough.

He wished he could stay, and better take in the calm of the morning, but first he had to check in with Yeesha and his friend. Perhaps they’d be able to take in the morning as they took breakfast in the kitchen, open as it was to the elements.  By the look of the sun peeking over the mountains, it would be a good day for it.

He sighed, realizing exactly what he was doing. As wonderful as it was to have his friend visiting them, there was a purpose to their trip this time, unpleasant… rather, uncomfortable as it might be. He would have to follow up on their earlier conversation sometime, and the sooner it happened, the sooner he and Catherine could settle their disputes, and embrace or cast aside their sons, once and for all.

It was a grim prospect, but after what had happened to the Ages of Myst, after what his friend had told him of Savvedro’s people, Atrus knew that if his sons had not reformed by now, there was no hope to be had for them.

He simply hoped he would have the strength to do what must be done, when… _if_ the time came.

The slowly brightening sky did little to lift his mood now, and he sighed, turning his back on the canyon and the waking hawks, to return to the caldera that formed his family’s home. He passed through the small entryway that linked this section, and his writing desk, to the rest of the house…

And froze as he stepped out onto the deck overseeing the lake. Across from him, in their recreational room next to the kitchen, stood his friend…

…and his son, Achenar.

His heart caught in fear, but he quickly forced the feeling down, struggling with himself as he gazed across the water. This was… unexpected, yes, but he had invited his friend to come and investigate his sons’ motives. He had been gone quite a lot longer than he’d anticipated, in Rime, and his friend was nothing if not tenacious when a task lay before them.

It seemed as if they’d gone ahead without him. And they appeared unharmed, standing before Achenar and chatting with him as though nothing were wrong. And yet, he still could not shake the emotions that had plagued him for years, whenever he’d thought about either of his sons, rekindled by seeing one of them in the flesh and free of his prison.

The blood of their acts lay on his sons’ hands, but the atrocities themselves rested on Atrus’ soul.

Another figure stepped out from behind the fireplace, carrying two cups in its hands and a third perched precariously on one forearm, and Atrus was astonished to recognize it as Sirrus, meekly serving tea to the other two with an expression he couldn’t recall having ever seen on his face.

Both of his sons were out of their ages, and yet, everything seemed to be… fine. What was more, his friend appeared to be chatting amicably with Sirrus, patting his shoulder in a sympathetic manner. With Achenar, they seemed more reserved. Achenar hardly seemed to mind, though Atrus had to admit, he was no master at guessing his eldest son’s thoughts.

He had almost relaxed, when a final figure caught his attention – that of his daughter, Yeesha. He knew she’d been excited about the prospect of showing her brother’s their home, the small secluded oasis in this desert, and would have expected her to be leading them about, showing them everything.

Instead, she seemed to be tied to a chair, a red cloth tied around her mouth. Perhaps things were not as calm as they seemed.

He hesitated, unsure of what to do. He nervously adjusted his glasses, and the light of the rising sun must have glanced off of it, for he somehow caught his friend’s attention. They waved to him, and his sons looked over as well. Achenar lifted a hand, looking uncomfortable. Sirrus waved, with a childlike air he hadn’t known his son still possessed, but the younger son’s enthusiasm died quickly, and his hand slowly dropped back to his side.

His friend cupped their hands around their mouth. “Come on over. It’s safe, and there’s a lot to talk about!”

He could have hesitated again – years of working under Gehn, eluding his machinations and undermining his plans, as well as having to repair the damages done by his own sons, had trained him to be suspicious of offers that appeared too good to be true. But he did not. His survival had relied on that sense of paranoia, true, but his salvation had come more than once from the hands of this stranger, turned friend. They had never let him down before. He trusted they would not now.

He turned aside, intent on joining them, and was immediately halted by the sight that met his eyes.

He stared, dumbfounded, at the exploded section of catwalk and bridge that had once led to the dam.

“What is going _on_?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday present for glitchedwitch. It’ll be a few short chapters, opening and establishing an AU we’ve discussed extensively. I may do more shorts afterwards if people like this/if she asks me to make more. Thank you for reading~ :3


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